When it All Falls Apart
by Chimera.Cain
Summary: It was all just an act She was the narrator, her face the stage, her emotion the plot, and Cloud was the audience. And Yuffie was a great actor." Yuffie dwells on her feelings for Cloud as him and Tifa go out for a night.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy**

**Setting: After Advent Children****_

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**When it All Falls Apart**

_**I'm having the day from hell,  
It was all going so well (before you came)**_

A raven haired girl sat down at the counter of the bar. She was no older than twenty years or age. Who was this girl with the short black hair and black bandana tied around her brow. Her pettie figure attracted the attention of numerous costomers around the bar, and casually unaware of all the attention she attracted.

Yuffie Kisaragi was the girl who sat down at the counter of The Seventh Heaven bar. She sat by herself for the last hour of the bar drinking her orange juice. The girl hadnt' uttered a word until the last costumer was shooed out of the bar.

"Hey sorry about that…it was really busy," Tifa said as she threw the dirty rag in the sink.

The ninja smiled optomistically. "Hey no problem, I know how it is…but you know you could have given me something better to drink. This is a bar after all," she answered taking another sip of her orange juice.

Tifa let out a light laugh. "Not until one more year Yuffie. Besides you're suppose to watch over Marlene and Denzel remember them?"

"Yeah yeah…you don't gotta tell me again…" she said sliding her empty glass to her friend.

Suddenly the familiar ringing of the bar door being opened pierced through their conversation. Yuffie glanced back over her shoulder already knowing who it was.

Cloud Strife walked through the locked bar door. He was the only one with the spare key, and the only other person besides Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel that could call this place their home. And it was all because they could call themselves a family.

The swordsman's heavy footsteps could be heard through the bar. "Hey," he said to Tifa followed by a smile.

Yuffie continued to look at Cloud, knowing very well who he was greeting. It wasn't her he was saying hello to it was her. The one he wanted to be with. He was saying hello to the one he smiled at.

A small pressure tugged at her heart as she looked at the one who would never be hers…"_And my day was going so well…"_ she thought sarcastically. _"Gawd Yuffie! Get a grip!" _The ninja mentally kicked herself for thinking such thoughts. She knew that this would happen. When did she ever go to the bar and not see Cloud there?

"Hey there Cloud!" She spoke with masked enthuastic voice. She waved her hand up in the air to get his attention and signal to him that she was at the counter.

Finally his gaze averted from the martial artists to the ninja. His facial expression returned to his nonchalant boyish gaze. "Hey Yuffie," he greeted.

"Hey there Spikes," she said in an unusual tone of voice, returning the greeting. Defeatedly she swivled back around to the counter.

This caused the blonde to furrow his brow. Yuffie was never one to have dampened spirts. Tifa who had contniued working a blotch on the counter didn't notice her tone of voice, but he had. She refused to look at him, causing him to stare at the back of her head.

"Hey, thanks again Yuffie. It's been a while since we've been out," Tifa's voice seemed to snap Cloud out of staring holes in to Yuffie's back. She looked around the bar, finally satisfied her work. She made around the bar and headed for the door. "You coming?" she asked Cloud with a look that said 'come hither.'

The blonde nodded causing some of his blonde locks to fall into his eyes. "I'll be there in a minute," he said to her. She nodded with a smile and made her way outside and out of sight.

_**With a kiss on the side my face (not again)  
And not to mention (the tears I shed)  
But I should have kicked your (ass instead)  
I need intervention  
Attention to stop temptation to scream**_

"Yuffie," he said cooly as he walked over to the Wutai native. .

"_Oh gawd…please…not again…" _she thought. She couldn't' fall for him again. Not again. The first time she had fallen for him she naïve thought that maybe, just maybe the would work out. When she fell, it had hurt harder than she thought. No, there was no way that she was going to go through that again. Taking a quiet, but deep breath Yuffie turned around a smiled.

"Hey Cloud! You know you really shouldn't make Tifa wait, she might change her mind," she said sarcastically. Her voice and face were both masking the feelings she had inside.

"Oh," Cloud said dumbly. His mako eyes eyed her face, studying her face. There was something that was telling him to press on, to ask her what was wrong.

Half of Yuffie wanted him to sweep her off her feet and kiss the crap out of her, but more of her didn't want to feel the pain of falling again. She gave Cloud a reassuring fake smile. She was a ninja, it was her job to stay hidden and be secretive, so hiding her emotions would be a walk in the park…right?

"Hey you better get going before I get tempted to steal all your materia again," she said lightly laughing. She leaned back on the edge of the counter, crossing her arms in front of her chest. As she kept her eyes on him she wanted him to say more, but no words came out.. It was all just an act She was the narrator, her face the stage, her emotion the plot, and Cloud was the audience. And Yuffie was a great actor.

The blonde warrior gave the ninja a curt nod. "Heh, yeah…" He wanted to say more, say something else. He saw her smiling face, so why did she look like she was in so much pain? "Yuffie you…" His sentence suddenly stopped, his eyes on her as if he was searching for what words to say.

Yuffie held her breath, with a new hope rising in her. She couldn't help it. The familiar feeling of flying entered her body as she thought maybe, just maybe they would work out. She inched forward ever so subtly on the edge of her chair, running for that one thread of hope.

"Thank, I don't know what Tifa and I would do without you…you're really special to me," he said crushing every hope and dream the young girl might have had.

And just like that Yuffie crashed. Crashed and burn…again. She slouched back in her seat. Her only hope was eaten and spit out by Cloud's words over and over again. He was special to her, but she would never be as special as _her_. She would never be as special as the beautiful girl that was waiting outside for him, the one that he wanted to be with.

But nothing, nothing could have hurt more than what he did next. Cloud smiled one of his rare smiles. One that held nothing but complete kindness and happiness. He leaned in closer and closer, closing the distance between them. Yuffie's body tensed as she felt his hot breath on her cheek. Her heart started to beat faster and faster she was sure that he would be able to hear its rhythm. His lips came closer to her face.

He continued to smile as he gave her a kiss on the side of her face.

It was a kiss that said 'I don't love you that way, but I love you.' All she wanted to do in that moment was break down and cry. As he withdrew she looked up at him with a furrowed brow, but not out of confusion, but out of saddness. And ofcourse he would never be able to tell the difference.

She remembered that day. The day she had kissed Cloud on the cheek. That was three years ago, and it was still her most cherished memory.

With a wave of his hand he turned around and headed for the door. "I'll see you later Yuffie. Thanks again," he said. And just like that he was out of her sight. She was left alone and had fallen again.

All she wanted was to take it all back. The day that they had found her training in the forest, and asked her to join their team. That day that she met him, that day that she should've kicked his ass instead. She just wanted to take it all back…she wished she had never met him, then she would've never had fallen.

Staying in the same seat for what seemed like hours she slid of the stool. Finally standing she felt weak. She wasn't sure if it was from sitting for so long or if it was because her heart felt so heavy. She needed something…something to get her mind off of everything. Something to keep her from screaming. It would feel so good to scream, to just let it all out. It was itching at her throat begging to come out.

_**I put my faith in you  
What a stupid thing to do (when it rains it pours)  
And not to mention (I drank too much)  
I'm feeling hung over (and out of touch)**_

Looking around the bar she looked for any outlet to take her pain and anger out on. She couldn't believe it. What just happened? Did she really just let herself fall for him again, just because of a few words that he had just said? How could she do something so stupid?

And trudged to the back of the counter. In the sink she saw her uncleaned empty orange juice glass from earlier. An unexpected scoff came out as Yuffie raised her eyes to the many liquor bottles in front of her. She contemplated drinking them, but what would Tifa say? Would she really notice if she drank some? Looking longingly at bottles in front and the memory of Cloud still freash in her mind something snapped.

"Fuck it," she said as her hand shot up from the closest bottle. Ripping the top off she didn't even bother to grab a glass. She started to chug the liquid not caring about the effects it may have.

This was very unlike the hyperactive teenager. What happened to her? The girl who was always happy. The one who would have an unlimited amount of energy? Yuffie didn't know where that girl was tonight…Tonight she just didn't care.

Her head felt dizzy, she needed to sit down. She felt so out of touch as the liquor started to take it's effect. Her ears started to hear a constant tapping noise. For once she broke contact with the liquor bottle in her hand and looked sideways towards the windows. Raindrops fell heavily on the outsdie of the windows. It was almost perfect that they falling rain outside matched her falling tears.

_**Everything is f'd up straight from the heart  
Tell me what do you do, when it all falls apart  
Gotta pick myself up where do I start  
Cuz I can't turn to you when it all falls apart**_


End file.
